There's a fine line between hopeful optimism and having blinders on, but on Sunday in Charlotte the New Orleans Saints took both options away with a loss that set new lows in a variety of ways.
For the Saints it was a 7th consecutive loss, 23-22 to the lowly Panthers, that tied the longest streak since 1999. For Derek Carr it was becoming the NFL's first QB to start in losses against 31 different teams. For the Saints at large it was an array of stats that has never been seen before in a loss (more on that below). It all has led Bobby Hebert to an inevitable conclusion, and one he's not a big fan of having to draw.
"Last week after we lost, we lost six in a row, I said we’re in the 20s," Hebert said. "We’re not in the middle of the pack. We’re not even in the 20s. We’re more like in the 30s now, and that’s either last, one before last or No. 30."
Listen to Bobby Hebert's full post-game rant in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
It's a take that's backed up by the standings. The Saints now sit at 2-7. No team in the NFL has fewer wins through nine weeks. Six other teams, including the Panthers, have the same record. If the season ended today the Saints would be picking No. 3 overall behind the Patriots and Jaguars.
But the way they lost is even more excruciating than the result. Over the last 20 years heading into Sunday, teams that outgained their opponents by 150+ yards, ran for 150+ yards and won the turnover battle had combined to go 250-0.
As of this evening that sits at 250-1. The Saints did all those things and lost. They're creating ways to lose that the NFL hasn't seen before. It'd almost be admirable if it wasn't such a damning statement on the 2024 season at large and a head coaching era that can't seem to get on the right side of things.
"Dennis Allen is a nice guy. I mean, he really is. Sometimes, like, [Mike] Ditka or even Sean [Payton's] personality, they could kind of get under your skin, but if they’re on your side, you’re all for them if they’re winning," Hebert said. "The bottom line is you have to win. ... You can be a nice guy if you win. If you don’t win, then changes will have to be made."
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The Saints didn't turn the ball over in this game, but they were undone by some critical penalties on potential closeout drives late in the game. The Saints had back-to-back drives with a 1st & 29 and a 1st & 23. A few first downs and the game is basically over. Those are drive killers.
The Saints had to burn a pair of timeouts in the first 8 minutes of the third quarter to avoid two more penalties. On the Panthers' go-ahead drive, a 22-yard pass interference penalty set up the go-ahead TD. On a long, go-ahead TD drive to open the second half for the Panthers, Tyrann Mathieu and Pete Werner combined to miss a tackle and get hurdled by rookie TE Ja'Tavion Sanders for a 46-yard catch and run.
The Saints had a pair of long drives to open the game that bogged down in the red zone and they were forced to settle for long field goals rather than a commanding lead.
It all combined into something that not even the most pie-in-the-sky idealist of Saints fans can swing positively.
"The Saints have officially hit rock bottom," Hebert said. "I’d say, you know, I try to tend to be positive, you know, you just look at the glass. Is it half full or half empty. It depends on your attitude. ... Well, going into the Carolina game, the damn glass was empty. So it was nothing left. But you know what just happened? You went to fill up the glass again and it slipped out your hand and you dropped it on the floor and it shattered, and it just broke all to pieces."